Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 1

Introduction To Ecclesiastes

Purpose: To answer the oldest question ever: What is the meaning of life?

Themes: Need for Meaning / Justice / Work / Leisure / Success / Wealth / Good & Evil

Authorship: The Case for Solomon as ‘The Qoheleth’: A Singular Persona. Solomon’s Leading of the ‘Assembly’ at the dedication of the Temple makes him and only him qualified to have the title of ‘The Qoheleth’. He was singularly gifted with Wisdom beyond any man…nothing approaching God’s wisdom!

Original Audience: Observant Jews (Weight based on credibility of Author)

Place in Scripture: Never questioned for 2300 years (Bollhagen dates it 735BC) Reformers like Luther wanted to have it removed from the Cannon. Date and Authorship questioned by ‘Modern Scholars’.

How WE read it in light of Christ: Together within the whole picture of Scripture we can see how it points out the clear futility of existence without a relationship with God.

Pt. 1 The Preacher’s Thesis

Chapter 1

1 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. 2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” 3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.

  • The Author: No dispute among the Jews forever, No dispute for 2300 yrs…
  • Title of the Author… Hebrew Word: ‘Qoheleth’ Greek Word: Ekklisiastís
  • THE THESIS IS: It all seems to be meaningless…
  • People come and go without purpose or meaning

5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.

  • Nature; observed without a Creator appears to be futile (Religion of ‘Evolution’)
  • Cyclical Nature of Nature…Who’s control is it under?
  • Is it random, do we have a role?

8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

  • The nature and character of humankind is discontent & futility
  • We repeat the mistakes of history, our nature is: ‘Consistently Corruptible’
  • We have become addicted to ‘New’, it is the Idol we worship…but that’s not new
  • Why does God say: ‘Here on Earth…It’s All Been Done’

10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

  • How much value do we place on things being ‘New’?
  • Materially / Emotionally / Philosophically / Spiritually
  • Is something’s value based on just ‘Newness’ or on it being more valuable?
  • How well do you know ‘Accurate History’?
  • Wikipedia IS NOT ‘Accurate History’
  • We are definitive regarding what is good, productive, wise…how do we know?

12 I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. 15 What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.

  • This Title can only work for King Solomon, as The Dedicator of God’s Temple
  • He was the ‘Leader of The Assembly of God’ @ the apex of the People of Israel
  • The search for understand & wisdom, if confined to what is ‘Under Heaven’
  • This is ‘Looking in The Wrong Place’. Only looking under the sun, here on earth
  • From this perspective it is all devoid of any meaning! It is screwed up and can’t be fixed

This is US without Christ! The beginning our surrender to Christ is the recognition of the futility of this life, separate from The One who Created US. And we can’t make that separation end. But God can end it, In Christ Jesus He does end it. We get the privileged of surrendering to Our Creator’s will for us: United in Christ!

16 I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” 17 So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. 18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

  • Remember Melchizedek?
  • He doesn’t compare himself to the Kings to follow because that will be known
  • It is a summary statement of what he is going to share in greater detail
  • Firsthand / Inside Scoop
  • The Result (Spoiler Alert) Life is meaningless apart from Our Creator God

Realizing that we need our Creator God to give life meaning is a great starting place. From there it’s a short journey to repentance & surrender: Our Privilege!

Application Questions:

How does our world make you ‘Feel Think and Act’ as though life is meaningless?

Where do you search for wisdom; in what’s New or The Lessons of History? Why?

1 to 10, rate yourself as being knowledgable & wise. What is your rating based on?

Can knowing ‘too much’, make you jaded & cynical? How do you fight that attitude?

/by

James: Living Faith pt. 8

Living Faith Builds Culture

Building a Biblical Culture as Jesus’ Church, is all about the foundation of beliefs and values found in The Scriptures. We want to take those values & beliefs and use them to form the actions and attitudes that mark our lives, our culture.

The whole book of James is one big lesson on culture formation based on God’s way

The formation of Biblical Culture does not happen by accident; it takes constant work and a desire to be aligned with what the Scriptures says rather than what ‘Feels’ good.

The whole Body can participate in the formation of the culture and then everyone benefits…everyone who is committed and present and part of the culture (family)

James 5:7-20

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.

  • Building a culture that is based on the anticipation of Christ’s Return (Patiently)
  • They know the crop is coming, it’s a matter of when…
  • Living in light of eternity (what matters most: ‘A Cultural Value’)

8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

  • Does our culture reflect complacency about Christ’s return?
  • Do our relational actions as a community reflect Christ’s Lordship?
  • Do we live like Jesus could come back at any second?

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

  • We pattern our lives after those who are most profoundly influenced by God
  • Suffering so that the truth about God may be revealed: that is building culture
  • The suffering always has purpose when it is done from a God honoring place
  • God reveals Himself through His people when they suffer

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

  • Why is it such a big deal to James NOT to make oaths? (Elevates ‘Free Will’)
  • Simplicity & transparency of communication is what biblical culture is built on
  • This also means we are to give God His due, He controls, Not us!

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

  • We are to live life with God involved in the good and the bad
  • We are to leverage the power of ‘The Church’, through it’s leadership, to heal
  • The faith of the person who calls for the Elders is the key

15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

  • Our properly functioning as ‘Christ’s Body’; through order & faith brings healing
  • A culture of commitment to the Body and seeking what we need AS a body…

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

  • Transparency about sin with other members of the Body is a cultural value
  • What kind of a culture of prayer are we building?
  • Is it marked by ‘Earnestness’?
  • Do we pray based on the the ‘Righteousness of Christ’?

17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

  • We can have the same culture of prayer Elijah had, it is possible!
  • How do we emulate Elijah and his closeness to God

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

  • Do we have a culture that gives second chances and welcomes prodigals?
  • We all need to know that if we screw up we can find forgiveness and family
  • We are to be people of reconciliation and humility
  • Our motivation is to care for each other’s souls
  • But that only happens when you go all in (True Biblical Culture)

Application Questions:

What is your personal culture regarding Christ’s second coming?

How does our ‘Body’ culture support suffering members? How can we do better?

How do you value & practice transparency in your relationships here @ Midtown?

How can you participate in building a more earnest culture of prayer?

Who might you reach out to that has wandered away from the truth?

/by

JAMES : Living Faith Pt. 7

Skilled Living Requires Biblical Theology

The Book of James provides solid advise, principals that each of us can apply. There is a critical truth informing all of this good advise: God’s Total Sovereignty. As much as he is calling us to act out our faith, he is also making it clear God is in charge, of everything, no matter how we ‘feel’ about that.

Our modern information & technology based culture creates the illusion that we have some amount of control of our world. But the situation is the same as when James wrote this letter: God alone is in control. Through networks, education and possessions we can build our own deception that makes us think we can control our circumstances… until a loved one suddenly dies or a child gets sick or a terrible accident happens, then the reality of our lack of control is painfully pointed out.

What James is advising us to do is to live our lives in deference to HIS actual control, realizing we will have to answer for whether or not we have honored HIS lordship. In recognizing the truth of God’s total control we think rightly about God based on the Scriptures, this is Biblical Theology. With that scripture based view of God’s sovereignty we can then live skillfully here in God’s world.

In today’s passage James gives us a couple of examples of how we act like we are in control and how God truly is in control; over today & eternity.

Ch 4:11-17

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

  • How ‘family’ should talk about and to each other
  • Judgement is not for us, obedience is our role
  • Any judgement we have is meaningless since we have no power to enact it

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

  • This is an illustration of the previous point about God’s complete sovereignty
  • Jame’s point: We think we have some control of our lives but we have ZERO
  • He is pointing out how little significance we have
  • Biblical Theology: Our ‘free will’ is totally subject to God’s ‘Sovereign Will’
  • Man-Centric Theology: My brains, talent, and experience impact my life
  • Either everything is God given & determined or it isn’t: what does the Bible say?

15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

  • The Scripture teaches God’s will is what determines everything
  • Biblical Theology: we do what HE wills, not what we will
  • Believing that you are in charge is not just wrong it is evil…
  • If you know something is wrong and evil and you do it is is SIN
  • It is right in front of us: God is totally in control, to erode His sovereignty is SIN!

Ch. 5:1-6

1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.

  • The definition of rich people needs some context; Ruling Elite / Those in Power
  • Being a part of the accumulation of wealth & power bring eternal consequences
  • The temporal nature of what we can amass rots our souls

This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

  • What you spend you life doing testifies for or against you when God judges
  • The connection of power to corruption and oppression
  • God is aware of people who accumulate wealth by taking advantage of others

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

  • A life spent satisfying self is the opposite of loving God
  • Valuing things over people is the opposite of how Jesus’ church lives
  • How we treat people says something about who we think God is

Application Questions:

What are some situations where you judge others motives?

If you realize your ‘right’ to judge others comes your pride, how is that overcome?

How much control of your life do you believe you have and why do you have it?

In what ways are you aware of materialism coming between you and God?

What are you spending your years on earth satisfying; your desires or God’s?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 6

GRACE FOR THE HUMBLE

Our Relationships with each other flow from our relationship with God. Humility is the essence of our relationship with God, so it can be with each other. Humility is the essence of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Humility is not friendship with this present world, this world tells us to be proud…

If we want to walk with God experiencing His grace fully we have to become humble. God has given us this scripture to point the way to the life He has for us…Humility is opposite all of our natural impulses, we need God to make us humble. It is only because God humbles us that we surrender our lives to Him for eternity, but it is the same humility we are to cultivate in our relationship and transformation with Christ.

Ch. 3:17-18 (End of last week’s message)

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

  • God’ wisdom should direct our living (Christ’s Living Body)

Ch. 4:1-10

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.

  • Conflict we have with others comes from within us (our sin of selfishness)
  • Our desire for things, approval & status lead us into conflict
  • We are taught by this world to value stuff & self more relationships

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

  • The more we rely on ourselves the less we ask God for (self reliance)
  • Even as followers of Jesus Christ we don’t depend on God
  • Then we turn to God as a last resort…and not to please Him but to use Him

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

  • If we put our time, talent & treasure into ‘Worldly Priorities’ we are adulterers
  • James makes it cut and dry…we like to hedge and fool ourselves
  • We need to honestly evaluate what we are valuing with our lifestyles

5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)

  • When God puts His Spirit in us He expects us to be true to Him
  • The message of Scripture: God wanting His people to be ‘Set Apart’ for Him
  • The only way we can be faithful is to embrace humility

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

  • Knowing that in and of ourselves we will be proud & betray God, we need help
  • God’s telling us how to get where we want to go; will we adopt these practices?
  • God’s wisdom is: asking Him for humility & to increase the value of humility
  • God wants us to be undivided; and He wants us to be honest about falling short

9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

  • I believe God wants us to honestly mourn our sin… Emote… Process Reality
  • We are not to always be ‘all fake happy’; there is a place of ‘Holy Sorrow’

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

  • There is no more important thing we can do in every aspect of our lives
  • True humility before God is essential part of salvation
  • True humility before God is the only way to live if He is who we say He is
  • Who would you most desire to lift you up in honor?

Application Questions:

What are ways you can connect god’s wisdom to your relational world?

In a normal day, what do you specifically ask God for?

What are your strongest lures to ‘befriend’ the world?

Describe how passionate you believe Jesus is that You be His faithful follower.

Are verses 7-10 a prescription or a suggestion to you?

/by

James ‘Living Faith’ Pt. 5

James Chapter 3: Words & Wisdom

The practical application of God’s Word should be the Lifelong Goal of all ‘Biblical Christians’. Two key areas to concentrate on are: our words and what we consider ‘Wisdom’. These two issues will impact our relational life more than just about anything else. The two are connected in our lives just as God’s Word & His Wisdom are.

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

  • Teachers are ‘Thought Leaders’ and have influence in leading Jesus’ Church
  • Leadership in Jesus’ Church is not like leadership in the rest of the world
  • If teaching is not aligned with Scripture / Gospel it is a great offense to God
  • We are all fallen, here is where God’s grace comes in…(judged with Grace)
  • The control of our speech & language leads other aspects of self-control

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

  • The power of our ‘Tongue’ is the disproportionate power our words have to influence people
  • Little things mean a lot

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

  • Small things can do great damage, our words have great capacity to harm
  • Our words are the primary outlet of sin in each of us
  • In our ‘Immaturity’ we abuse the power of our words without realizing it
  • God wants us to be aware of the importance of our words (Devil wants the exact opposite)

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.

  • GOD’S WORD says no one can completely control their words… It is a war against pride!
  • We should use our words like we are handling a live explosive (careful & slow)
  • The dual nature of our words is a heartbreaking reality
  • We can intentionally ask God to grow our praising and decrease our cursing

10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

  • As true followers of Christ we are called to imitate Him, so HE is the standard
  • If we have given over our lives to Christ should not our speaking reflect HIM?
  • IF Christ is the source of who we are there should be constant spiritual growth
  • Our spring should keep being less and less ‘Salty’…

God’s Character and how He desires us to be is displayed through His Messiah. Jesus Christ is our example in all things! Two examples from the Scriptures:

The Coming Messiah: Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus Before Pilate: Mark 15:1-5 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Jesus is the standard for how we use language & speech: yielded to and led by The Holy Spirit

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.

  • Wisdom & Words, Words & Wisdom… The are intertwined
  • Biblical definition of Wisdom: Living God’s Way
  • Jesus Incarnated God’s Ways : Ultimate Humility / Ultimate Good Works
  • Don’t confuse God’s Way with Your Way (lay down yourself)

15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

  • God’s wisdom is consistently opposite what is valued by our popular culture
  • If you don’t think a great deal of our popular culture is demonic; WAKE UP!
  • The predominate culture is built on self-centered, non-communal individualism
  • Disorder & Evil flow from the ambition and hate that are given place when everything is about ME!

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

  • Wisdom that reflects Christ is uncorrupted by sin (poop in brownie, no prob)
  • It does not seek conflict: loving peace can require conflict, but resolving is goal
  • Being gentle and yielding to others is not valued
  • All of these are crucial to relationships being built and strengthened (recap)
  • The actions of peace making have tangible results (fruit, a harvest of rightness)

Application Questions:

How do you view ‘Teaching & Leading’ in the church? Is your perspective Biblical?

How do you intentionally make your spring (Words) less ‘Salty’

What practices do you employ to intentionally fight jealousy & selfishness?

Where does your life (not your words) reflect Verse 17? Were does it not?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 4

Faith IS Action

James wrote this from a place of love to help people come to ‘True Faith’. One of the enemies of True Faith is being satisfied with ‘Good Intentions’. In 12-15 years of leading the Jerusalem church: he had seen action & intention, James had seen the real deal and he had seen the fakers.

James 2:14-26

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

  • Again James is calling to account those who declare themselves ‘Christian’
  • All Show & No Go / All Talk & No Act
  • I pray none of us will be that person…
  • What is the kind of faith that can save anyone?
  • Must ‘Saving Faith’ move you to act?

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

  • ‘You See’, we are responsible for what God brings us into contact with
  • An example of ‘Good Intentions’ without ‘Good Actions’
  • Have you ever been the object of this kind of ‘Care’… Not care at all

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

  • James is defining / God is defining FAITH
  • What gives our faith life is the action it produces

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

  • Biblical Faith, can’t help but be ‘Shown’ by the life one leads
  • True Faith is not a matter of intention (the road to perdition is paved with…)

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

  • There is a difference between claiming faith and ‘Living Faith’
  • A belief in the reality of a All Powerful Creator is not Faith that saves
  • It is the faith in God that is expressed in the laying down of your life in trust

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. (perfect)

  • Previous actions were mixed…this time Abraham’s actions were 100% faith
  • His faith enabled him to Act. His Actions ‘exercised’ his faith

23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

  • God is not looking for us to have ‘theoretical’ faith, but to act in reality
  • What he knew about God he acted on, and by acting God grew his faith

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works

  • Two examples both listed in Hebrews 11 (both ends of the ‘food chain of faith’)
  • Was everything in Rahab’s life as it should be?
  • When given the opportunity to act on faith in God,she did
  • Good works are as essential to faith as breath is to a body…
  • Lack of breath PROVES a body is dead…our actions PROVE our faith is Alive!

Application Questions:

How do you honestly evaluate your ‘Faith’ as being a ‘Saving Faith’?

Does your faith drive your actions or do your actions drive your faith?

When have you acted because you believed God no matter what? What happened?

How do you define ‘Belief’? Do you have beliefs you do not act on?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 3

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

The end of the previous passage, James 1:25

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

  • ‘The Law That Sets US Free’ is JESUS!
  • WE need to carefully examine HIS LIFE and His Word (O.T. & N.T.)
  • WE are set free when we surrender our lives to Him
  • WE live out the reality of our surrender by His Spirit in us: ‘Living 4 Him’
  • WE keep living for Him and experiencing the blessings of His presence

Today we will look carefully at some specifics of that ‘Perfect Law’: we will see how we can do it, (LIVE IT OUT, NOT JUST TALK) and realize that we need regular reminders to keep doing it. And we will see what James means by: ‘then God will bless you for it’.

The Merciful & Just Kingdom of Christ IS Without Prejudice. What is the value of any religion if it doesn’t effect every part of your life? If we have surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ shouldn’t that impact everything? The only way for us to display God’s mercy is to recognize our own need for it. From that place we can humble ourselves before God and then HE transforms us.

James 1:26-28 & 2:1-13

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

  • The claim is critical; if you make the claim you are saying God’s Spirit is in you
  • If God’s Spirit is in charge of your tongue it will be increasingly controlled
  • God’s mercy is reflected in His followers: who needs that mercy? (Marginalized)
  • Refusing to let the world corrupt you is not a passive endeavor, it’s WAR

1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

  • Jesus Christ is ‘Undiscriminating’ regarding who He cares for and forgives
  • We are all the same to Him, God judges ‘Spiritual Condition’ we look at status
  • In order to truly reflect Christ’s impact on us we have to see people like God

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

  • We look at people from a worldly / material perspective
  • Our Lord, and we as His followers, are to see and treat everyone evenhandedly
  • Jesus; words in the Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor…
  • Who is truly aligned with Christ? Those who invest in this world or the next
  • We want to be in favor with the current culture and with the rich…

8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

  • The Royal law is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His call to us
  • Jesus’ parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ defines who your neighbor is: Everyone!
  • In essence, you don’t get to pick who your neighbor is based on preferences

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

  • Sin is Sin to God…we view sin in categories and rates some worse than others
  • If you have committed ONE sin you are in violation of the law and guilty
  • Our recognition of our own guilt is crucial to the process of redemption

12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

  • As Christians our standards for actions & words are Christ’s actions and words
  • The core of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s mercy for us:
  • Mercy for others is to be our way of life
  • God will judge our attitude, words and actions based on our ‘heart of mercy’

Application Questions:

What has, and what currently shapes your definition of ‘Pure & Genuine’ Religion?

How can you actively practice treating people the same no matter their socioeconomic status?

Why is favoring people with resources over those without a sin equal with murder?

Who’s been an example to you of practicing mercy consistently & indiscriminately?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 2

Living From Biblical Theology

Great Passage: Theology & Application. James was guided by God to write this to people he cared for, so he encourages them to think rightly about God and then act from there. James first shares biblical theology on important topics: Our Sin, God’s Essence, God’s Grace, The use of God’s Word. Then he gives us an overview of how we are to live in response to God’s Revelation. As followers of Christ this is our lifelong pursuit: Application of Scripture!

Pt. 2 James 1:12-25

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

  • The blessings are the intimacy that happens when you trust God in faith
  • ‘Crown of Life’ = eternity with God…we can only give our life to Him out of love

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.

  • Temptation has 3 sources as revealed in Scripture (Our Flesh / Satan / World)
  • None of the sources are God, yet HE allows them

14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

  • Our desires, NOT God’s…
  • Acting on our desires is when it moves from temptation to sin
  • When that sin action is not repented of & renounced it becomes open rebellion
  • James wants everyone to be clear: Don’t let sin have a place, don’t let it grow

17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

  • God is Unchanging Good; Author of all Creation
  • This birth He chooses us for is ‘Eternal Birth’ a gift that is personal in Christ
  • The gift of salvation thru His True Word (Christ)

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

  • We need to understand how important what we do is (Matthew 15: 18-20)
  • The heart of who we are is reflected by our life-style
  • We must let our transformed heart lead our actions to renounce old lifestyle
  • What will save our souls is nothing short of total surrender to the Gospel

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

  • A difference between acknowledging Scripture & crafting a life based upon it
  • Constant reference and adjustments: Active Ownership of Your Discipleship

25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

  • James comes from a perspective of ‘The Law ‘ being God’s revelation
  • God’s revelation has now been perfected in Christ Jesus
  • The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the perfect Law that sets you free!
  • So we are to Know it well and consistently apply it to real life (ritual & habit)
  • The blessing again is the intimacy of God’s presence and communion with Him!

Application Questions:

Why is it important to know where God is in the process of temptation and sin?

How can you create a truly ‘Biblical’ view of who God is & how He interacts with you?

What influences can you reduce in your life to allow the righteousness God desires?

What are aspects of your lifestyle that enable or hinder application of God’s Word?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 1

Seeking Wisdom in Hard Times (Intro & Ch. 1:1-11)

Author:

Jesus’ younger brother, studied as a Rabbi

Rejected Jesus: Mark (3:21; 6:2-4, 6) and John (7:5; 19:25-27)

He didn’t believe in Jesus as Christ until resurrection day visit (1 Cor. 15:3–7)

He was a leader of the Jerusalem church along with Peter & John

Executed in 62 AD

Audience:

People who had come to faith in Jerusalem (Jews)

They had been forced to flee because of the Jewish Leaders’ policy of persecution

Purpose:

To provide guidance on Christian lifestyle based on Jewish belief and The Revelation of Christ.

Historical Context:

Book written and distributed about 14 years after Christ death & Resurrection

Christians were scattered around Judea & beyond

Written prior to the 1st Jerusalem Council (50AD)

Scriptural Context:

Written like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes (Wisdom Literature)

James stature in the Jerusalem church gave it weight at 1st (canonicity disputed)

Read without the context of the rest of Scripture it can seem based on law not grace

1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

  • ‘Bond Slave’
  • The single word ‘Greetings” is unique to James

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

  • The addressing of ‘Brothers & Sisters’ assumes the ‘Bond of The Spirit’
  • Troubles of any kind: The kind you caused & the kind you didn’t cause
  • The only way to grow is to be tested, enduring these things transforms you
  • James encourages us to figure out how to let it grow
  • Ownership of your Discipleship is the path to development
  • Your completeness and wholeness happens when you let God shape you

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.

  • ‘If you need’…who is not in need?
  • The Wisdom you need is accessible, God wants to provide it…
  • God has a filter for His distribution of wisdom: His Spirit (In Us by faith in Christ)
  • We must approach Him as Who He Is: ‘My All in All’

Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

  • Divided Loyalty is a great translation rather than ‘believer without doubt’…
  • A wave cannot control where it goes.
  • If loyalty is divided between God & ANYTHING else, your relationship will suffer
  • Communion with God & HIS wisdom is for those who surrender all to God (Jesus: ‘Give up your life for me and the Gospel’)
  • We were created to be undivided in our loyalty to God…Shalom

9 ‘Believers’ who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.

  • What really matters; this life or the next?
  • As ‘Believers’ they have eternal life, provided by God for His reasons
  • As Christ followers we boast only about what God has done
  • In God’s perspective it has happened…

11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

  • All that is temporal (of this life) will not last…all without ‘Eternal Value’ fades
  • ‘The Rich’ are those who do everything for their self gain & glory
  • The Rich are occupied with their pursuits and reject Christ

Application Questions:

Why don’t you respond to trouble with joy?

How do you approach God to ask for wisdom in your daily life?

What in your life keeps you from letting God grow your faith in hard times?

What are the things that can pull your loyalty away from God? Why can they do this?

/by

Ruth: Providence & Redemption Pt. 6

What God is Birthing

Loss / Hope / Hardship / Isolation / Faith / Seeking Good / Trust / Blessings

The Book of Ruth amplifies the story of all Scripture: Redemption by God’s Grace! What was lost in the garden, our intimacy with our creator; can be regained. Ruth is a short story that could almost be seen as a ‘Cliff Notes’ for all scripture.

We left our story at this point last week:

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

Ruth 4:11-22

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel.

  • They publicly attest to being witnesses (basically going on the record)
  • 1st Blessing: Rachel & Leah were grafted in like Ruth is
  • God builds His nation of Israel by including outsiders

May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

  • ‘Ephrathah’ is the revered ancestral line of Caleb, from the tribe of Judah
  • Caleb’s descendants settled what became Bethlehem: ‘House of Bread’
  • From the ‘House of Bread’ will come the ‘Bread of Life’

12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

  • In the story of Judah & Tamar the brother didn’t act as Guardian Redeemer
  • God preserved the lineage even through all of that sin
  • Judah’s line is where Sin and Grace collide…all the way to ‘The Cross’
  • Perez’s offspring were numerous and influential then and in the future

Nehemiah 11:6

The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

  • The Lord given the credit… Miracle? Was Ruth Barren? Was Boaz too old?
  • Bottom line: It is God who conceives ALL Life

14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

  • Boaz is an example of and an instrument of: God’s Redemptive Character!
  • This is all being attributed to God!
  • The Child is to be famous, and a blessing to Namoi
  • The Child would be the heir that will protect and provide for Namoi
  • ‘Better than seven sons’…

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

  • A Son as in a way to keep the family name going
  • Obed means ‘Servant’…

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

  • Why is keeping track of the lineage important?
  • God uses uncommon ways to bring forth His Messiah from His people
  • This union ultimately produces David (Foreshadow of Christ)

God in His sovereignty Provides & God by His Grace Redeems!

Application Questions:

The blessings the crowd bestows on Boaz…why so elaborate?

Why does all the attention shift to Namoi regarding the child?

What does this book say to you about follow-ship in the midst of hardship?

What does it look like for you trust God for both provision & redemption?

/by